"Chinese Wind," the new song from Brooklyn smooth rockers King Cyst, is made up of layers of comforting sounds: pastoral flutes, gooey guitars, recorded nuggets of actual human laughter, and the tender baritone of principal songwriter Luka Usmiani. The lyrical language is plain, like how a friend might casually recount a romantic encounter: Erin tries to have some fun/ while Michael's shoes are on the bed. The track's sonic detours are neither surprising nor totally expected; when it eases into some vaguely climactic horn bursts in the final section, you feel like you wound up in the right place, not exactly where you started but somewhere just as good. "Chinese Wind" appears on the band's new full-length, King of New York, which is due out this summer on Underwater Peoples.
Lead image: John Show